This invention relates generally to the field of measuring an analyte in a liquid medium. More specifically, it relates to an immunoassay and reagents useful for the determination of an analyte in a biological sample, and in particular, for the determination of tricyclic antidepressant drugs.
The present invention relates to a new tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) immunogen useful for the generation of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to TCAs. The new immunogen is characterized by a saturated double bond on the amitriptyline portion of the molecule (dihydro amitriptyline). The invention also relates to TCA activated hapten derivatives useful for preparing tracers and conjugates for TCA immunoassays using an antibody produced from the immunogen of structure I derivatized at the C-2 position with either a conjugate derivatized at the N-1 position of imipramine or a conjugate derivatized at the C-2 position of dihydro-amitriptyline. The immunoassays of the present invention include a single, qualitative or semiquantitative toxicological screening assay which would broadly recognize tricyclic antidepressants as a class.
The present invention comprises the following embodiments:
a compound having the structure 
where R1 is a saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, straight or branched chain of 0-10 carbon or heteroatoms, X is a linker group consisting of 0-2 substituted or unsubstituted aromatic rings, and Y is an activated ester or NHxe2x80x94Z, where Z is a poly(amino acid);
an immunogen having the structure 
where Z is a poly(amino acid);
an antibody produced in response to an immunogen of structure II;
an activated hapten having the structure 
an activated hapten having the structure 
an activated hapten having the structure 
an activated hapten having the structure 
an immunoassay for a tricyclic antidepressant drug utilizing an antibody produced from an immunogen of structure II and a drug conjugate derived from structure III, IV, V and VI,
an immunoassay for a tricyclic antidepressant drug utilizing an antibody specific for a tricyclic antidepressant and a drug conjugate derived from structure III, IV, V and VI; and
an immunoassay for a tricyclic antidepressant drug utilizing an antibody produced from an immunogen of structure II and a tricyclic antidepressant drug analog.